The gunboat Repulse on James river — further Particulars.
On Tuesday evening, about four o'clock, the three gunboats and the Monitor passed Varina, coming up the river. They were all connected by lines, and were towing each other, the Monitor being second from the front.--They commenced strolling along the shore to rouse up a Confederate battery, but the shelling was in vain, no reply from Confederate guns being elicited, if any of our artillery was in the neighborhood. They continued on up the river.About 6 o'clock they turned a bend, near which a torpedo lay in the channel of the river. The operator on shore exploded the torpedo. The explosion, which was terrific, took place a few seconds too soon and before the foremost boat had gotten her how over the deadly engine, which, had it been beneath her, would have scattered her into atoms.--The water was thrown up from the bed of the river to a height of sixty feet, lifting the how of the approaching steamer high in the air, and tearing from it quantities of planking and gearing. In falling the great mass of the water fell on the vessel, tearing open her upper works and doing further damage. Those who from the shore witnessed this unexpected water spout describer it as a grand spectacle. The negro spectators were greatly astonished, one of them running to his master's house with the astounding intelligence that "de river had done gone up in dear."
The scene after the explosion was one of terror on board the Yankee fleet. On the foremost vessel screams and calls for help filled the air. "For God's sake bring up a boat" was the most frequent cry from the first steamer to her companions in the rear. On all the steamers the seamen were running about in the wildest confusion, and it was some time before order enough could be restored to allow of aid being given their distressed companion. The first that went to her aid was the Monitor, which ran up along side, and after that all hands on the fleet were engaged in repairing damages. Had a battery of artillery been on shore at the time the explosion occurred and opened a brisk fire on them, there is very little doubt that at least two of the boats might have been captured.
Fractured pieces of the bow, chains, sailors' caps, and planking floated ashore during Wednesday. The vessel which was so badly damaged was nearly square, with the end slightly pointed, and our informant thinks was an iron-clad gunboat, or an old ferry-boat sheathed with iron. The fleet, after the accident, sailed further up the river, where it lay Wednesday night, and Thursday morning, about 5 o'clock, passed Varina again going down the stream.
At Deep Bottom, a mile below Varina, they were destined to received another surprise. The artillery and infantry which had been sent there and placed in position the night before, about 1 o'clock, opened upon them briskly, to the utter astonishment of those on board. Some effort was made to return the fire. The Monitor backed up the river a little distance to get the range and delivered several shots, but finding it useless, put on steam and went down as fast as she could move. After the fleet passed Deep Bottom, the artillery was limbered up, and, with the infantry, went at a double quick down to Turkey Island. They had arrived there about five minutes, and the guns had just been gotten into position when the fleet hove in sight, coming slowly down. This time one of the gunboats was being towed. having been so damaged by the fire at Deep Bottom that she was unable to make her way through the water. Her engines were not working; a shot hole through her wheelhouse was visible. As they came in range they were received with a galling fire, which was continued until they passed out of the reach of our guns.
As they passed City Point the Monitor was flanked by a gunboat on either side, with another wooden craft following in her wake, but attached by a tow line. Large holes could be seen in the hindmost steamer, and great pieces of canvas could be seen over the sides of the one next to the Southern shore of the river, all indicating pretty rough treatment.
There is little doubt that these gunboat raids up James river are intended for the purpose of ascertaining the location and effecting the removal of the torpedoes suspected to be in the river, and this anxiety to have the course clear may be deemed as proof that the next "on to Richmond" will be made by two routes--one of them being the Peninsula.
